A moment of genius-ness

Intro

Have you ever come up with an idea so genius that you know you’re pretty much guaranteed fame and fortune just for conceiving such a brilliant concept?

Well, the other day I came up with said idea.

I really do believe that the world will never be the same once this revelation is unveiled. I am pretty convinced that once I push the publish button on this very post the food network is going to be pounding down my door begging me to have my very own show. Those poor TV execs are going to be pushed aside by the dozens of publishers who will be throwing contracts in my face urging me to sign on to write volumes of cookbooks. Or at the very least you’ll read the following recipe and think “that looks delicious! I must make that right now and devour it in it’s entirety because of how fabulous that looks.” Which really is all I truly want.

Now I know that everything has been done under the sun so chances are this isn’t my idea at all. But I have never heard of it and while asking around have not met any one else who has heard of it either. So with out further ado this may or may not be an original idea but it’s new to me and I want to pass it on to you.

Are you ready? Are you sure?

I call it Yams Brulee (or sweet potato brulee, depending on what part of the country you are from).

The recipe could not be more simple.

Rub a yam with a hefty amount of softened butter and bake in a 350* oven until it is just about done. You should feel a touch of resistance when testing with a knife or fork.

Remove from the oven and cut in the middle lengthwise (hot dog style).

Sprinkle a touch of cinnamon on top of the yam. Add a pinch of salt then more butter to cover the exposed flesh. Continue to roast until completely tender.

Remove yams from the oven then let cool slightly. About 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle a fine layer of sugar over the top then TORCH IT until caramelized. Repeat with another fine layer of sugar.

There you have it. An incredible sweet/savory (and simple) side dish perfect for your holiday table.

18 Responses to “A moment of genius-ness”

Emily. Thanks for your comment. It is my understanding that on the west coast we call yams (the orange flesh vegetable) yams but in the south they consider those sweet potatoes. And vice versa. I know they are two completely different vegetables but are called different names depending on where you live. Again, I could be way off but that’s the latest that I was told.

Here in the South East, we slice sweet potatoes into batons, much like fries, coated with brown sugar and deep fry them in very hot oil, adding more sugar when necessary. Stir them around, make sure they’re coated in the gooey sweet mess, and once they’re done, leave them to drip on a strainer and allowed to cool a little, so that the caramelly stuff hardens. YUMMY!

OMG, you ARE a genius! Just found your site and love it! Probably could do a whole bunch of sweeties at once if you use a blowtorch…plus might add a little excitement to the day! Oh, and while you’re at it with the torch, the kitchen-friendly one – try torching a Peep…you know, the marshmallow-food-thingy that come in holiday shapes such as Christmas trees and Easter bunnies. Caramelized gooeyness!

sounds yummy, but my dear, sweet potatoes and yams are two different critters: here is an excerpt I share with you.

Often called a yam, the sweet potato is not in the Yam family, but that is only the beginning of the confusion (see yams). Nor is the sweet potato closely related to the common potato. The first Europeans to taste sweet potatoes were members of Columbus’ expedition in 1492. Later explorers found many varieties under an assortment of local names, but the name which stayed was the indigenous Taino name of batata. This name was later transferred to the ordinary potato, causing a confusion from which it never recovered. The first record of the name “sweet potato” is found in the Oxford English Dictionary of 1775.

I know. I know. Sweet potatoes and yams are not the same. Nor did I claim they are. All I know is caramelized sugar is delicious and anytime you can sneak it into the meal and not just the dessert then that right there is genius.
Thanks for all the wonderful comments. I love hearing from everyone.

Just wondering if I could put this under the broiler for the final step as I don’t have a kitchen torch. I’ve heard of doing this before for creme brulee, but have never tried it. Have you? Thanks for the idea–I’m so excited to try something new with sweet potatoes!